BAU Spring Break
by 14hpgirl19
Summary: Sequel to BAU High School. After spending far too many months apart, the team is finally back together for a much-needed vacation. It's all fun and games until they cross paths with some unfriendly guys. Will their friendship make it through this latest obstacle? Hotch/Emily JJ/Reid Morgan/Garcia
1. Time Apart

**A/N at the end. **

Chapter 1: Time Apart

When you meet your best friends, do you know immediately they're your best friends? Do you connect instantly? Or do you grow closer over time, and slowly come to be inseparable?

Same goes for soul mates. Do you work towards a relationship, or do you just come together seamlessly?

A group of six friends discovered that it is impossible to predict who will become your best friend or your soul mate. And once they realized that, they were better off, for they had created a bond stronger than anything they had ever made.

That bond was tested when they all went their separate ways for college. Still, if they learned anything else in high school, it was that nothing could tear them apart…

Right?

* * *

><p>"Heads up!"<p>

Emily Prentiss barely had time to duck before a bright red Frisbee flew through the air above her head. The quick movement caused her books to tumble out of her arms, falling into a heap on the grass in front of her. With a weary sigh, Emily knelt down to get them, ignoring the apologies of the student behind her.

"Boys, right?" a warm, familiar voice said. Emily felt a smile spread across her face.

"Right. They're just all so obnoxious." Aaron Hotchner let out an indignant scoff, and Emily laughed. "Hi, Aaron." Her boyfriend gathered a few of her books and kissed her, earning a few catcalls from the people around them. Aaron waved them off and gave them a stern look, though the tiny grin on his face spoke differently. Emily smirked and stood up, pulling Aaron up with her.

"C'mon," Aaron said, gesturing with his shoulder, "Let's get out of the danger zone."

The couple hurried across the quad and started down the path that wound between the various buildings of Yale University. Their hands remained intertwined, keeping them close to each other, side by side. That was how they always were: close.

It was the April of their freshman year of college. They had survived the first eight months, and now they were almost in the home stretch. Up until that point, there had been plenty of issues to keep them occupied. Yale was hard, and Emily felt like she was going to explode half the time. If not for Aaron, she most definitely would have. He was always the calming element for her, always there to rub her back or kiss her temple when she needed it. More often than not, Emily found herself praising the gods above that he chose to attend Yale with her.

However, it was not completely one-sided. One of Aaron's defining traits was that he was incredibly hardworking, which meant there were numerous times when he would completely immerse himself into his work and ignore everything else. Therefore, it was Emily's job to pull him away and get him to eat or sleep.

They were each other's support system, the other's other half. College had only strengthened what they began in high school. Despite having a rocky start to their relationship, Aaron and Emily were truly perfect for each other, and they planned to never change that.

"So, how was your class?" Emily asked, turning her head to look at Aaron. He rolled his eyes and gave a half-hearted shrug.

"Have I ever mentioned how much I hate math?" he asked wryly. Emily giggled, which caused Aaron to grin.

"Don't worry. After this year, you can dump all the necessary freshman classes and move on to what you really love."

"Thank _God_," he groaned. Emily laughed again, and Aaron shot her a suspicious look.

"Are you laughing at my misfortune, Emily Prentiss?"

She swallowed her giggle and feigned a serious look. "No, of course not. That would be cruel."

"One would think," he muttered. He winked at her to assure her he was only teasing.

"Want to grab lunch?" Emily offered. Aaron started to nod, then stopped and sighed.

"I'd love to, but I can't. I have to meet with Professor Mills about my essay."

Emily's heart sank a little, but she forced a smile. That was the third lunch that week they couldn't have together. The first time, Emily had a group project to work on. The second, Aaron's floor had a bonding session involving pizza, and Emily opted to sit out, knowing it would be a bunch of guys watching ESPEN and chowing down on food.

As close as they were and as strong as their relationship was, there were many weeks when they could barely spend time together. They had underestimated the lack of free time they would have, and that resulted in a lot of time spent away from each other.

"I'm sorry, Em," Aaron said, squeezing her hand tightly.

"Don't worry about it," she insisted, suddenly feeling guilty about how upset she was. Aaron always put a great deal of stress on himself, and when he thought he was making her upset, he felt awful.

"I know you've been wanting to have lunch together though."

"Yeah, and we've had lunch together _numerous_ times. So what if we don't today? We'll just spend more time together this weekend."

Aaron managed a small smile at her optimism. "Thank you."

"For what?"

"For being so great."

"In that case, you're welcome."

Aaron raised his eyebrows. "What, no 'I'm not that great Aaron, don't say that'?"

Emily smirked. "But I am great. Awesome, in fact."

Aaron stopped walking and leaned towards her, capturing her lips with his. Emily smiled into this kiss and squeezed his hand to assure him she really was alright.

"Yes, you are," he said when they separated. "You're wonderful."

* * *

><p>A few states over, Derek Morgan ran a hand over his buzz cut hair and suppressed a groan. He hated school. Okay, that wasn't true. He hated <em>work. <em>He hated essays and projects and extra readings, like the one he was trying (and failing) to plow through right now.

"I'm not even majoring in physics," he muttered to himself. "Why the hell do I need to know this?" In an attempt to let out some of his frustration, he slapped his text book, frowning when all he got in response was a dull thud. He was partially hoping the evil thing would combust.

His cell phone rang from where it lay in his crumpled bed sheets. Desperate for a reprieve from reading, he leapt from his desk chair and onto his bed, grateful his roommate wasn't there to laugh at his enthusiasm.

"Baby girl, you have no idea how happy I am to hear your voice."

"I haven't even said anything, my lovable Morgan." The lightness in her voice made him smile for the first time in hours.

"I just knew it was you, sweetheart."

"Yeah, and you can read caller ID."

"That too."

"So," Penelope Garcia said, "what were you doing before that makes you _so_ happy to hear from me?"

"I'm always happy to hear from you."

"Yes, but you never go so far as to tell me, so spill."

Derek glanced at the textbook and shuddered. "Reading. Textbooks are not made to keep people invested, let me tell you that."

"Oh, you poor baby," Penelope said in mock-sympathy. "What can I do to make you feel better?"

Derek perked up at that. "Well, since you asked…"

"EW!" a young voice screeched from Penelope's end. "Please don't!"

Derek burst out laughing. "Hey, Spencer. Didn't know you were there."

"Yeah, I probably should have mentioned you were on speaker," Penelope said sweetly.

"Yeah, that would've been nice, baby girl."

"My ears may never recover," Spencer Reid moaned.

"Oh, come on!" Derek crowed. "You're a college boy now, Spencer!"

"Yeah, and I'm several years younger than everyone else here, so…"

"Point taken."

A ding was heard on the other end, causing Derek to frown in confusion.

"Oh, that's JJ," Spencer said, and Derek could hear the smile in his friend's voice. "We're gonna Skype."

"Have fun! Tell her we say hi," Penelope said affectionately.

"Will do." Derek heard a door shutting, and Penelope sighed happily.

"He's gone."

"So… about that offer of yours…"

* * *

><p>"Spence!" Jennifer Jareau's face lit up at the sight of her boyfriend. "Hey!"<p>

"Hi, JJ." Spencer walked down the hallway of Penelope's dorm and ducked into the stairwell. He settled down on the bottom step and rested his laptop on his knees.

"How are you?"

"I'm alright. How are you?"

"I'm okay," JJ said with a small shrug. "People are nice, school is hard, you know, the usual. Though you probably don't have to deal with the 'school is hard' thing."

Spencer blushed at the subtle compliment. "No, school is still difficult. The work load is more intense than high school, so it really comes down to managing my time and making sure I keep track of everything. I've actually created a system where-"

"Spence," interrupted JJ gently.

"Sorry."

JJ giggled, pushing her blonde hair back as she did. "It's fine. It's kind of cute, actually. The way you ramble on about stuff."

"Oh, it is?"

"Mmhm." JJ's smile became tinged with sadness. "I really miss you."

"I miss you too," Spencer said. "Every day."

"Good. I would hate for it to be an 'every-other-day' thing," she teased.

"Don't worry, it's not," replied Spencer, trying to tease back but failing instead. He cleared his throat and opted to change the subject. "So, how's Pittsburgh?"

JJ shrugged. "Alright. Though, to be honest…" She bit her lip. "I might be considering a transfer."

"Really? Why?"

JJ shrugged again. "It just isn't a good fit. I think I might be better off at somewhere like… Georgetown."

"Georgetown," repeated Spencer.

"Yeah. Though the transfer process is really complicated, and there is a LOT of paperwork, and I don't even know if I can make it in Georgetown, and-" She stopped midsentence, suddenly looking far more stressed than she had before.

"Are you alright?" Spencer asked softly. JJ managed a short nod.

"Yeah. Sorry about that. I just…" She sighed. "I wish you were here. Last year was so much easier knowing I had you to help me."

Spencer felt a surge of pride knowing how much JJ valued his aid. Two years ago, he never would have guessed that _the _Jennifer Jareau would need him, much less love him. It was something he cherished every day.

"I love you," he said. "You know that, right?"

JJ smiled. "Of course I do. And I love you too."

"Don't stress out too much. You'll be great in whatever you do."

"Thanks, Spence."

"And besides," the younger boy continued. "Spring Break is in a couple of weeks. We can see each other then."

"Good," said JJ, playing with a strand of blonde hair. "I could use the break."

"I think we all could."

JJ opened her mouth to say something else, but then her eyes darted to something off the screen. She frowned and looked back at Spencer.

"My roommate is back. I have to go."

"Stay strong, JJ," Spencer said comfortingly. "We'll see each other soon."

"I know. Bye, Spence."

"Bye, JJ."

The laptop screen turned to the Skype homepage as JJ clicked off. Spencer felt a brief wave of loneliness before he remembered that Penelope was just down the hall. He couldn't even imagine how alone JJ felt, or even Derek. Spencer knew they had made friends, and that they were happy where they were (for the most part). But it was not the same as having your best friends in the whole world by your side.

By the time Spencer returned to Penelope's room, an idea had already formed in his head. Penelope looked up when he entered and gave him a concerned look.

"What's wrong, boy genius?"

"JJ isn't having a good time at school." Spencer plopped down on the end of Penelope's bed. The blonde girl was propped up against her headboard on the other end.

"Well, of course she isn't, it's _school_," she joked. When she saw Spencer's mood didn't improve, she became more serious. "What do you want to do about it?"

"Well, I was just thinking…" started Spencer. "What if we all got together for Spring Break? I mean all of us. You, me, JJ, Derek, Emily, and Aaron."

Penelope furrowed her eyebrows. "I thought we were already doing that."

"I mean more than a normal get together." Spencer's voice was taking on the speedy quality it developed whenever he was explaining something. "What if we did something _really_ special. Something like… a vacation! We can go somewhere nice and just be with each other."

Penelope's eyes lit up at the suggestion. "Ooohh… I like this idea." A slow, devious smile spread across her face. "We have a lot of planning to do."

**A/N: So, here we are! I hope this lives up to expectations, and I hope you're all still interested in my little story. I'm going to try my best to post updates as fast as I can, but I am currently at writing camp (how ironic) so I don't know how speedy those updates will be. However, you've all waited so patiently, so I couldn't wait to put this up. **

**Thank you for your continued support. Please let me know what you think! =)**


	2. College Student Woes

Chapter 2: College Student Woes

Saturday morning, Emily was lying on her stomach on her bed. She was still in her pajamas, which consisted of a concert T-shirt and red plaid pants, despite it being nearly 11:00. Her laptop was situated on her pillow, and a half-filled word document was on the screen. She was working on an essay for her American History class, and she had hit a wall. Well, she hit the wall approximately fifteen minutes ago. Ever since then, she had been playing a game on her cell phone.

_It'll come to me eventually, _she thought. _I just gotta wait._

At least, that was what she hoped would happen.

Thankfully, Emily's roommate was gone for the weekend. If she hadn't been, Emily would have been criticized for procrastinating her essay even more than she already had. Her roommate was the perfect Type-A personality, and she never missed an opportunity to remind Emily of that.

A knock on the door pulled Emily away from her game. She tossed her phone on her bed as she stood up, moving to open the door. She smiled brightly at the person on the other side.

"Good morning," greeted Aaron. He raised an eyebrow and nodded at her choice of attire. "Slumming it today?"

"Shut up," said Emily with a laugh. "I'm trying to write my essay."

"Oh. Well, then if you're busy…" Aaron started to leave, but Emily grabbed his hand and tugged him inside the room.

"I haven't written anything in nearly twenty minutes. And I haven't written anything _good_ in… let's see… I started it about an hour ago, so… an hour ago?"

Aaron chuckled and took a seat on Emily's desk chair. She perched herself on the bed, crossing her legs beneath her.

"Sounds exciting," he said.

"Thrilling. So, what brings you to my tiny room on this lovely morning?"

"I thought we could hang out today." He reached over to pick up her laptop, but Emily smacked his hand away.

"Nope. You can't read it."

"I can help edit!"

"Yeah, sure, when it's _done._ Which it is so not."

"Fine, fine." Aaron gave her an expectant look. "So? You wanna do something?"

"Yes, I do."

"Good." He smirked. "Write your essay."

Emily let out a groan, and she punched his arm. Aaron laughed and pretended to be hurt.

"Not funny," she said with a pout.

"You have to admit I have a point."

Emily glared at him. "I thought you wanted to hang out!"

"I do."

"Then don't tell me to do my homework!"

Aaron grinned mischievously and propped his feet up on her bed. Emily's heart skipped a little at seeing him look so casual and relaxed. During the school year, Aaron often looked like he had the weight of the world on his shoulders, and there were days when getting a smile out of him was impossible. But when he was like this, well, there was nothing like it.

Emily loved it.

"So," said Aaron, nudging her knee with his foot. "How about lunch? Then a walk through the park, maybe a movie?"

"You sound like such a romantic."

Aaron scowled. "Would you rather me be a jackass?"

"I've seen you be a jackass, so no."

Aaron's face fell at the reminder of his pre-Emily high school persona. He hadn't always been a nice guy, and he hated it. He had let himself become molded by the people around him. It wasn't until he met Emily and her friends that he changed into his own person, a person he could be proud of. He never wanted to go back to who he used to be.

Emily immediately felt bad for reminding him of it. She got up off the bed and carefully placed herself on his lap. Aaron's arms encircled her waist and held her close.

"I'm sorry," she whispered, kissing his cheek. Aaron closed his eyes.

"It's alright. I know you didn't mean it."

Emily tilted his head back by placing her fingers under his chin and pushing up. He opened his eyes and gazed at her, a sad look coming from him. She smiled a little and kissed him on the lips. She tried to convey her exact feelings, that she didn't blame him for how he acted in the past. Aaron pressed his lips closer to hers, savoring her touch.

"I love you," she murmured when they pulled apart.

"I love you too."

"Lemme get dressed. Then we can go."

"Okay. You sure you don't need to work?"

Emily lightly swatted his arm and extracted herself from his grip.

"Believe me, I would much rather spend the day with you."

Aaron smiled, the lightness in it returning. "Good."

* * *

><p>"I have to say, I liked the first one better," Emily stated as she and Aaron exited the movie theater. Her hand immediately found his, and they began walking down the sidewalk.<p>

"I don't know, this one had its perks," argued Aaron. Emily smirked.

"Do you mean the main female character? If you can even call her a main character?"

"She had… substance," he insisted. Emily burst out laughing.

"She had major cleavage, if that's what you call substance!"

"Oh, like you weren't drooling over the main guy!"

Emily gave a fake-pout. "Not fair. Zachary Quinto is very attractive. And _his_ character had substance!"

"What is it with you and substance?" Aaron shook his head in amusement. Emily shrugged.

"I feel like every person needs it. Otherwise they're flat and uninteresting. Like cut-out paper dolls."

"You should have been a writer. Than you can give _everyone_ substance."

"Okay, you can stop using that word now," Emily said. "And besides, I'm a shit writer. You know that."

"If I say I don't, will you stop mocking me for my opinion on this movie?"

"I wasn't mocking you."

"There isn't a single person who would say your tone wasn't mocking."

"I think you're just sensitive."

"I think you're mean."

Emily stopped walking and raised her eyebrows. "Oh, is that what you think? Well, in that case…" She started to pull her hand away from Aaron's, but he simply held on tighter. A smile began to tug at the corners of Emily's mouth.

"Scarlett Johansson doesn't compare to you, you know," Aaron said shyly, referencing the film.

"You're so sappy."

"You said that earlier today."

"I mean, it's true…"

Aaron laughed under his breath and pulled her close to him. He kissed her, and they lost themselves in the contact, ignoring the fact that they were standing in the middle of the sidewalk. Someone coughed as they walked by, bringing them to their senses. They separated, blushing like the caught teenagers they were.

They resumed walking, and they quickly fell into a conversation about the merits of sequels. Emily was insisting they would always be inferior to the original while Aaron defended them, saying they could be quality pieces if done properly.

Emily's cell phone rang, interrupting Aaron's passionate argument. He frowned at the phone, causing Emily to grin.

"It's Penelope," she told him before picking up. "Hey, Pen."

"Hello, my best girl. And hello, Aaron."

"Who said I was with Aaron?" Emily said innocently, glancing at her boyfriend out of the corner of her eye.

"Oh, so you're not?"

"Well, no, I am."

"Knew it!" Penelope cried. "You two are sooo not hard to predict."

"Glad to hear it," Emily said with a roll of her eyes. Aaron kept giving her questioning looks. She shook her head in response.

"No, believe me, it's a good thing."

"Thank you, then."

"Thank you for what?" Aaron pressed.

"Calm down, Nosy," Emily said, nudging him with her shoulder.

"Who's nosy?" Penelope asked on the other end.

"Aaron."

"I'm not nosy!"

Penelope laughed, having heard him. "Tell him to relax. What I have to say pertains to him too."

Emily relayed the message. Aaron huffed a little, muttering, "I don't need to relax." Emily giggled.

"Alright, what's up, Pen?"

"Welllll," she said, drawing out the word. "As you know, Spring Break is coming up."

"Really? I had _no _idea."

"Fine, then, Ms. Snark. No need to be a jerk about it."

"What about Spring Break?" Emily asked. Aaron raised his eyebrows.

"We – and by we, I mean our Merry Band of Misfits – are going on a trip."

"A trip? Are you serious?"

"Why wouldn't I be?"

Emily shrugged even though her friend couldn't see her. "Because we're college freshmen who can barely eat out on the weekends. Where were you thinking, for this trip?"

"Somewhere nice."

"See, 'nice' might be hard to come by. Recall my previous statement."

Penelope let out an exaggerated sigh. "It was Spencer's idea."

"Really?" Emily asked, raising her eyebrows. "That doesn't seem like him. His idea of a vacation is reading fifteen books in a day, then watching _Star Trek._" Aaron snorted.

"He thinks JJ is having a difficult time, and he wants to make Spring Break special for her. He figures having all of us together on a trip will be just what she needs."

Emily took a deep breath. Just over a year ago, she would not have given a damn about what JJ wanted or needed. Of course, times had changed, and now JJ was one of her best friends.

"Then I guess we need to start saving."

* * *

><p>"I now call this emergency meeting of Thomas Jefferson High School's Greatest Alumni to order," Penelope announced. She was seated on her bed in her dorm room, with Spencer at her side. Her laptop rested on both of their laps, and its screen held three familiar faces. Aaron and Emily were in one Skype window, and Derek was in another.<p>

"I'm sure there are some people who would object to that," Aaron remarked, leaning back on his bed. They had opted for his room since Emily's roommate was on the warpath about the history essay.

"Like Strauss," Derek said. His face became clouded with nostalgia. "God, I still remember her face when Emily won Prom Queen…"

"When you MADE me win Prom Queen!" Emily cried. "You ran up with my name on a piece of paper!"

"And her face was priceless!" Derek asserted. "It was totally worth it."

"And besides," Penelope said, "Aaron couldn't be King without his Queen!"

Everyone minus the couple in question made cooing and kissing noises. Emily rolled her eyes as Aaron kissed her cheek, which only increased their friends' teasing.

"Okay, _okay_," she said firmly, bringing everyone back to the present. "Let's get down to business."

"Yes." Penelope clapped her hands together. "Spring Break."

"Is not possible," Emily said. Penelope glared at her.

"Wow, ye of little faith."

"I'm just trying to be realistic!"

"You said we needed to start planning! That's like saying you're up for it and you think it's a good idea!"

"Because I did think that, at first," admitted Emily. "But Aaron and I talked about it on the way back here, and we just don't know how we can swing it."

"That's where the planning comes in."

"Penelope…" Aaron said. "We need to think this through."

"We're about to!"

"Guys," Spencer said softly, drawing everyone's gaze. "I know that this won't be easy, and that it's probably not possible, but I think we should try. For JJ. She's seriously doubting herself out there, and I think she really needs the time off with all of us. A vacation would be the best way to do so, because we'll be somewhere completely new, where nothing old can hurt us."

Everyone was quiet as they took this in. Spencer had never been the one to beg for anything (unless it was to get them to watch something sci-fi related). But his plea now… it said a lot to the group.

"Hypothetically," Aaron said, breaking the silence. "Where would we go?"

"Well," Penelope started, picking up her sparkly pink notebook. "I Googled popular Spring Break spots for college kids, and I found this website that helps students plan trips. They have several locations, many of which are in either Mexico or the Bahamas…"

"Let's not do that," Derek said. "Traveling will cost way too much."

"I agree," Aaron said. "Is there anywhere in the US?"

"Yeah, there's a spot in Texas, and one in Florida."

"Oooh," Emily said, a faraway look appearing in her eyes. "Florida."

"Yeah," Penelope said. "Panama Beach. Apparently it's the number one Spring Break spot in the US."

"Wouldn't that make it more expensive?" Aaron asked apprehensively.

"Negative, Captain Hotchner," Penelope replied. "This website is budget friendly."

"Are you serious?" Aaron asked. Emily nudged him with her shoulder.

"The whole point of it is to _help_ college students go on vacation," Penelope shot back. "It's as cheap as we're gonna get."

"Well, how cheap is that?" Derek spoke up. "Because I'm not exactly rolling in dough over here."

"We're not either," Spencer said, looking at Penelope. She shook her head.

The three of them looked at Emily and Aaron. Aaron shrugged, then glanced at his girlfriend, who looked down at her lap.

"I'm not, but…"

"But what?" Penelope asked, her eyebrows furrowing. Emily sighed.

"My mother keeps offering to send me money. I tell her no for the most part, but sometimes I cave."

Silence.

"So, what you're saying is that if you asked your mom for vacation money, she would probably give it?" Penelope did her best to give Emily a sharp look through the webcam. Emily bit her lip.

"Most likely…"

"Then what's the problem?"

"You guys won't have money!" Emily cried. She paused then, a look of concentration appearing on her face.

"What're you thinking, Princess?" Derek asked. Aaron shot him a look before turning back to Emily.

"Well… I haven't taken the money recently…"

"So?" Derek prompted.

"Maybe I can get my mom to pay for you guys too, since I haven't accepted any of her offers since, like, Christmas."

"We can't allow your mom to pay for us!" Penelope chided. "That's too generous."

"Do you think you can make it on this trip without her help?" Emily countered.

"We might be able to make it work…"

"So the answer is no. I'm sorry, Pen, but you know it's true." Emily let her gaze flit to each of her friends. "Look, when I was younger, I didn't really have a lot of birthday parties, or any kind of get-together with other kids, really. I moved a lot, so it was hard to make friends. Plus, no one really wanted to hang out with the odd girl. My parents have never gotten the chance to do something like this for me. I think they wouldn't mind doing it now."

Penelope opened her mouth, then closed it again. Aaron squeezed Emily's hand, and Spencer offered a sympathetic smile. Penelope finally spoke.

"Okay, so since there is a computer screen between us, just imagine I'm hugging you. As for the trip…" She thought about it for a second. "Okay, how about this: We pay as much as we can, and then your parents help with the rest?"

"Done," confirmed Emily with a nod.

"Hold on," Aaron said, holding up his free hand. The other was still holding Emily's. "We don't even know if your parents will agree to this."

"Let's worry about that if they don't. Until then…" Emily grinned at her friends. "Panama Beach, here we come!"

**A/N: That student trip website it a real thing. I seriously Googled spring break spots and found a site that helps students plan trips. It's pretty cool.**

**Anyway, sorry about the wait! I've been settling in back at home, and I haven't had a lot of time to write (one of the many things I miss about my camp is writing time haha). Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Please let me know if you did! I'll appreciate it so much.**

**Also, a BIG thank you to everyone who has favorited or followed this story. Your tremendous support never ceases to amaze me. Thank you thank you thank you. **


	3. It's Coming Together

Chapter 3: It's Coming Together

It really shouldn't be this hard. She already knew how they would respond. At least, she hoped she knew. Either way, she wouldn't know until she tried.

The trying part was just taking a while.

"Em?" prompted Aaron. "Are you going to do this anytime soon?"

He was stretched out on her bed in her dorm room. Opposite, Emily was perched on her desk chair, eyeing her cell phone. It lay on her desk, which is where it had been for the past fifteen minutes.

"What if they say no?" she asked, not looking at her boyfriend.

"Then they say no," Aaron replied. Emily suppressed the urge to roll her eyes. "Why are you so worried? You knew from the get-go there's a chance they won't agree to this. What do you have to lose?"

Emily sighed. "I don't want to let everyone down. They're all so excited."

Aaron studied her closely. "And… maybe you're excited too?"

Emily frowned and glared at him. "Don't profile me."

"I'm only a freshman, I hardly know how to profile people."

"Well, either way, that's what you're doing now!" She turned her gaze back to her motionless phone. Aaron sat up and leaned forward. He grasped Emily's hands within his own and squeezed.

"Hey," he said softly. "Look at me."

Emily resisted for a moment, but eventually she looked over. Aaron smiled and rubbed his thumb across her knuckles.

"No one will blame you if your parents say no. We'll just have to come up with a plan B if they do." He looked at her square in the eye. "We'll make it work."

Emily bit her lip, then nodded. Aaron kissed her briefly on the lips before pulling away and untangling one of his hands. He picked up her phone and held it out to her. After a small pause, Emily took it from him. With a shift of the thumb, her phone was unlocked, and her mother's number was gracing the screen. Pressing the green "call" button, she lifted the phone to her ear and waited while it rang. Aaron still held her other hand, and he squeezed it right then. She offered him a weak smile.

"Hello?" Elizabeth Prentiss's crisp voice sounded over the line. Emily swallowed.

"Hey, Mom. It's me."

"Emily! It's so wonderful to hear from you. You haven't called in a while." Only Mrs. Prentiss could make something sound simultaneously accusing and nonchalant.

"Yeah, sorry about that. I've just had a lot of stuff going on." Emily glanced at Aaron, and he gave her a reassuring smile and nod. Warmth spread through her chest.

"Working hard? I should certainly hope so…"

"Oh, yeah, lots of hard work. In the past month alone I've had, like, four essays. I can't wait for break."

"Is that coming up soon?" Mrs. Prentiss sounded disinterested. Emily's social life never did occur to her. "Will you be coming home?"

"Well…" Emily took a deep breath. This was her in. "That's what I wanted to ask you about."

"Of course you can come home, Emily, you're always welcome. You know that."

Emily winced. Aaron squeezed her hand, and she offered a meek grin in response. She switched her gaze to a spot on the wall behind his head, trying to phrase her words very carefully.

"Oh, I do know that. But, since it's Spring Break, and it's so close to the end of the school year, I was hoping to do something a little more… fun."

"Fun?" Mrs. Prentiss repeated blankly. Emily wondered if that word was even in her mother's vocabulary. "What did you have in mind?"

Emily looked at Aaron, as if he would tell her what to say next. Of course, having not heard Mrs. Prentiss, he had no idea. He just gave her a blank look in response. Emily glanced away again.

"A trip," she said with as much confidence as she could muster. "With my friends."

There was a pause. Emily chewed on her lower lip as she waited. It felt like an eternity.

"And where would this trip go?"

"Panama Beach," Emily answered readily.

"Sounds expensive."

"We found a website that caters to college kids on break. It's budget-friendly."

Elizabeth sighed. "What exactly are you asking me, Emily? Don't beat around the bush, you know how much I hate that."

"Can you help pay for our trip to Panama Beach for Spring Break?" asked Emily, her words coming out quickly and nervously. She had rehearsed it over and over in her head, planning each word carefully.

Again, a pause. Emily's heart rate increased by several beats. Aaron seemed anxious too, but he wasn't showing it as much as his girlfriend. However, she noticed the way his jaw clenched after she finished her question. It was his tell. Emily had gotten quite adept at picking those out (though Aaron noticed hers first, the jerk).

"That is a hefty request," Elizabeth finally said. Emily was so scared of an immediate negative response that she didn't even know what to say. Her mouth opened and closed for a moment before she thought of something.

"I realize that. And I wouldn't ask if this wasn't important to us. To me. But… it is. We haven't seen each other in a while, and school has really been getting to us lately. We need this. Just two weeks, on vacation, all together. Besides, I haven't taken any money recently. This could be your way of making it up to me." She cringed. "I mean, my way of making it up to you." A groan. "You know what I mean."

Emily could practically see her mother purse her lips. She began jiggling her foot up and down. Aaron raised his eyebrows. The reassuring squeeze made a reappearance, but Emily didn't smile. This was the make-or-break moment.

"I assume you've thought most of this out already?"

Thankfully, they had. Penelope, in all her enthusiasm and computer-wiz glory, had come up with an in-depth itinerary. Prices for lodging and travel were all outlined, as well as additional expenses.

"Yes," said Emily. "I can email it all to you as soon as needed. Heck, I can send it now."

"Please do. I'll look it over and discuss is with your father."

Emily let out the breath she hadn't fully realized she was holding. Aaron's eyebrows lifted in question, and the corner of her lips quirked up for an answer. His brown eyes lit up, a grin of his own starting to form.

"Thank you _so_ much, Mom! I would hug you if I were actually near you."

Elizabeth chuckled briefly. "Don't be so quick with the thanks. I haven't said yes yet."

"Oh, I know. But I figure I gotta butter you up somehow."

"I'll let you know soon, Emily. In the meantime, keep up the good work. And tell Aaron I say hello."

"Will do. Love you."

"I love you too."

Emily hung up and looked at Aaron. He returned her gaze expectantly, though he obviously knew how the conversation went.

"She's gonna talk to my dad," Emily reported. Aaron nodded.

"That's good! That's not a no."

"No, it most certainly is not."

* * *

><p>A few days later, they had their answer. The team of misfits was headed to Panama Beach for two weeks come April, and they could not have been more excited. Penelope coated her dorm room in lists upon lists of things to pack, things to do once there, and general "To Do's" prior to leaving. Derek took great pleasure in telling everyone he could about the upcoming trip. Emily convinced Aaron to not bring a single textbook with him. She discussed which outfits to bring with Penelope and JJ, once JJ was informed of their plans.<p>

Spencer was the one that told her. He had requested to be the bearer of good news, and no one objected. After all, it had been his idea.

"Hey, Spence," JJ greeted, cell phone lodged between her ear and shoulder. She was in the process of tucking her textbooks into her backpack, and it was proving to be quite difficult.

"Hi, JJ." He paused. "What are you doing? It sounds like you're climbing a mountain."

JJ moaned. "I have too much stuff, and very little space in my bag. I'm about two seconds away from chucking one of these god-awful book out the window."

"Sounds like you need a break," Spencer said lightly. JJ barked out a laugh.

"You're telling me. I have a countdown for Spring Break on my phone."

"Got any plans for that?" Spencer tried his best to sound casual, but anyone who knew Spencer Reid knew he was terrible at casual. JJ paused in her packing endeavor and frowned.

"I _was _just going to go home, but do you have something else in mind?"

"Well… it just so happens that our dear friends have an idea."

JJ smirked. Of course they did.

"And that idea would be?"

"Panama Beach, Florida. All of us. Spring Break."

JJ froze. That most certainly was not what she expected. She opened her mouth, but nothing came out.

"JJ?" Spencer prompted. "You still there?"

"I…" She cleared her throat. "You're not serious, are you?"

"I am. Emily's parents are helping with the money. Penelope's got all the travel plans in order. All you need to do is say yes. And pack. And probably inform your parents."

"Spence, I…" She shook her head. "I can't… That seems too good to be true."

"JJ," he said gently. "Just say yes." She hesitated for a fraction of a second.

"Hell yes."

**A/N: Hi. So, I am really, really, reallyyyy sorry about the long wait between chapters. My life has gotten so very crazy, and I haven't had much time to do anything outside of school and work. I'm optimistic about things slowing down soon, but I've thought that before and been proven wrong, so please bear with me. I promise to never abandon this. I will update eventually, but not as often as I would like.**

**Thank you all for your continued support. It means the world to me, and it makes my hectic life a whole lot more tolerable. =)**


	4. Welcome to Paradise

Chapter 4: Welcome to Paradise

Ever since she was a little girl, JJ prided herself on being an organized girl. Her stuffed animals were always lined up neatly on her bed, and her books were kept in alphabetical order on her shelves. In the morning, she made her bed, and whenever her mother did the laundry, JJ took care to place her clothes back in their proper drawers. That mindset continued into her teenage years, with her locker (both her regular one and her soccer one) never veering into disarray.

However, one she reached college, JJ quickly realized that maintaining that level of organization would be far more difficult than she anticipated. As the weeks turned into months, clothes piled up wherever they could be stacked, and her desk was in a constant state of being overrun by papers and textbooks. At first, it had bothered her a great deal, but eventually it ceased to faze her. She learned to live with the clutter.

That is, until she needed to pack for Spring Break.

"Where is it?" she muttered to herself, digging through her laundry bag. Jeans, sweaters, and T-shirts flew past her as she tossed aside every article of clothing. She let out a frustrated groan, throwing a purple blouse with a little more force than necessary.

"Are you okay?" JJ's roommate, Alyssa, asked. She was seated on her bed, magazine open on her lap. With a lazy flick, she turned to the next page, her gaze never leaving it.

"No," said JJ. "I can't find my good shorts."

"Go buy new ones."

JJ suppressed a sigh. "I would prefer not to spend more money than necessary, thanks."

"Didn't you say your friend's mom is paying for your trip?" Alyssa briefly looked up from her magazine, taking in the chaotic state of the room. "You're gonna clean all this up, right?"

JJ gritted her teeth. Oh, how she missed her friends. "Yes, she is, but I still don't want to waste money. And don't worry, it will all be taken care of."

"Good." Alyssa resumed reading. "Because Johnny is coming over tonight, and I don't want…"

JJ tuned her roommate out. She could care less about Alyssa's boyfriend. What she cared about was packing for her trip. She would be leaving in two days, flying down to Florida by herself. At the airport, she would meet up with her friends, and they would head to their resort. Then, it would be two weeks of nothing but sun and relaxation. Her skin tingled with anticipation every time she thought about it.

As she began sorting through the heap of clothing for what felt like the millionth time, JJ caught sight of a framed picture on her desk. It was of her and her friends, along with David Rossi, the high school football coach who had become the group's closest ally in the faculty during their senior year. The photo had been taken during the going-away party Rossi threw for them, just a week before they began to depart for college. Rossi was in the center, and Penelope, standing behind him, had thrown her arms around his neck. Derek had one arm slung around Penelope, and another around Spencer, who looked flustered by the act. JJ was beside her boyfriend, grin huge. On Rossi's other side was Aaron, and Emily was beside him.

It was moments like those that kept JJ going. That, and the knowledge that there were more to come. A soft smile spread across her face. Just two more days. She could hold on for that long.

_Florida, here I come._

* * *

><p>"Oh, I think I see-! Nope, not them. Wait, is that…? No, still not. Maybe <em>that's<em>-"

"Penelope," Spencer interrupted. "Maybe you should sit down."

Penelope let out a huff and dropped into a chair beside Spencer. Despite being the ones on the other side of the country, the two of them were the first to land in Florida. It was Sunday afternoon. That night, they would check into their resort. In two weeks, they would leave. Needless to say, Penelope was anxious to get the trip started. She and Spencer had been waiting for nearly thirty minutes now. Aaron and Emily were due in next, followed by Derek, and then JJ.

"Their flight hasn't been delayed, right?" she asked. Spencer sighed.

"Not since the last time you asked."

Penelope's eyes narrowed. "Do I hear some sass in that voice?"

"What? No, no, of course not," he sputtered. Penelope laughed.

"Relax, Spence, I'm only teasing you."

"I knew that," Spencer said defensively. He had not known that.

"I'm just so excited!" Penelope cried, leaning back in her chair. She propped her feet up on her Technicolor suitcase and crossed her arms.

"What could you possibly be excited for?" a familiar voice said from behind the two of them. Penelope shrieked and leapt up. She rushed around the row of chairs and pulled Emily into a bone-crushing hug. Spencer stood and grinned at Aaron, who was standing next to the girls.

"Um, Pen?" Emily gasped. "You're kinda squeezing too tight."

"Oh, I'm sorry!" Penelope released her, and then grabbed Aaron. He yelped in surprised before awkwardly returning the hug.

"Hey, Penelope."

Emily came around to hug Spencer. "It's so good to see you!"

"And you too," Spencer replied shyly.

"How long have you guys been waiting?" Aaron asked, carefully extracting himself from Penelope's grasp. He placed his and Emily's bags on the chairs and moved around to the other side, Penelope following behind.

"About half an hour," Spencer reported. Aaron nodded, then surprised Spencer by hugging him. Aaron wasn't big on physical affection, but it was clear he had missed his friends.

"Wow, I'm surprised you managed to hold out this long and not run all over the airport," Emily joked. Penelope pretended to look affronted.

"I can be patient!"

"I had to tell you to sit down at least five times," said Spencer. Aaron and Emily laughed.

"So how was your flight?" Penelope asked, changing the subject. Everyone exchanged amused grins.

"Alright," Aaron said. "Em fell asleep halfway through."

"I was tired!" Emily cried. "I was up packing until, like, three in the morning!"

"I told you to pack ahead of time," replied Aaron smoothly.

"And I told you I had it handled."

"Don't you just feel the love, Spencer?" Penelope raised her eyebrows at the "warring" couple. Emily raised her hands in mock-defense.

A disembodied voice from above announced the arrival of the latest flight. Penelope bounced on the balls of her feet and clapped her hands.

"That's Derek's flight!" Her eyes shone brightly as she scanned the oncoming crowd for her boyfriend. While they had seen each other over Christmas break, Penelope felt like it had been years since she had seen him. They had been friends for so long, it was hard not to feel like a piece of herself was gone. But now, that was about to change.

After a few minutes, Penelope caught sight of a dark-skinned teen making his way through the terminal. She hopped up onto a chair and waved her hands around excitedly.

"Penelope!" Emily's mouth fell open. "What are you doing?"

"I think she's found Derek," Aaron responded, his voice tinged with amusement.

Derek spotted Penelope and began running towards her, weaving in and out of travelers. He was by their bank of chairs in an instant. Dropping his bags, he wound his arms around Penelope's waist and rested his face against her stomach.

"Oh, Baby Girl, you have no idea how happy I am to see you."

Penelope's heart could explode, she was so happy. He was _here,_ with her. She sighed with contentment and placed her head atop of his. Derek's response was to hold her tighter.

"Hey, uh, guys?" Spencer ventured. "Friendly reminder that we are in public…"

"Relax, Pretty Boy," Derek mumbled, his face still buried in Penelope's body.

"Yeah, Spencer, it's an airport," Penelope said distractedly. "People are allowed to do things like this here, haven't you ever seen _Love, Actually_?"

She heard him mutter that he had not, but she didn't care. As far as she was concerned, her Spring Break had finally begun.

Eventually, the couple pulled apart, and Derek made his rounds, greeting the other three. His smile was wide as he bounced from person to person. Penelope stepped down from the chair, a grin of her own on her face.

"What's new, guys?" Derek asked after everyone had calmed down. He sat down next to Penelope and placed an arm around her shoulders. Emily took a seat on his other side, leaving Aaron and Spencer standing.

"Well, I've been taking this class where…" Spencer began. Everyone had missed him so much, they didn't bother to stop him from launching into a five minute monologue about his favorite human science class and the in-depth investigation he was beginning after break.

They were all so engrossed in their reunion that they did not hear the announcement for the next arrival. Therefore, they did not notice the blonde girl as she crept up behind them. Aaron spotted her first. He smiled, then nudged Spencer. The younger boy cut himself off abruptly, his gaze falling on JJ.

"JJ…" he breathed. Her grin was bigger than it had been in weeks.

"Spence," she said.

"OHMYGOD JJ!" Penelope screeched, startling everyone around them. She flew out of her chair and raced to hug the final member of their group. JJ stumbled back a few steps under the sudden impact, but squeezed back with equal fervor. Looking upon this scene, it was hard to believe the two girls had only been friends for just over a year.

"Give her some room to breathe, Pen!" Emily laughed.

"Oh, fine," Penelope huffed, releasing JJ.

JJ hefted her bags over the row of chairs before saying hello to everyone else. She reached Spencer last, her eyes sparkling with happiness and something else… Love.

"Hey," Spencer said quietly.

"Hey," repeated JJ at equal volume. Behind them, Emily and Penelope cooed about how cute the two of them were.

Not being able to wait any longer, JJ leaned forward and kissed Spencer, startling him momentarily before he managed to respond. He placed his hands on her waist, pulling her closer. JJ reached up and cupped her hand around his neck.

Derek wolf-whistled, and Penelope applauded. Spencer and JJ quickly separated, shy looks on their faces.

"So I see you two missed each other," Emily teased.

JJ shrugged. "Only a little." She winked at Spencer. He blushed a little, and then took her hand in his.

"So," Aaron said, clapping his hands together, "Now that we're all here, should we head to the hotel?"

"Oh, yes, please!" Penelope cried. Everyone gathered up their bags and made their way to the exit, ready to begin their latest adventure.

* * *

><p>The hotel was only fifteen minutes away from the airport. The whole way there, everyone pressed themselves up against the windows of the van they were in and pointed out all the sights. After weeks of college campuses, sand beaches and palm trees were the most beautiful things any of them could see.<p>

Once they reached the hotel, they all unloaded their bags and waited for Emily to check them in. Since her mother had funded the trip, she was the one handling things like room assignments.

"It is so hot here," Derek moaned, leaning on Penelope's suitcase. Aaron raised an eyebrow.

"Did you think it wouldn't be? In _Florida_?"

"No, no, I _counted _on it," replied Derek. "This weather has been my dream for _months_."

Emily rejoined the group then with keys in her hands. Behind her was a honey-blonde haired woman who appeared to be in her late twenties. She wore a blue polo shirt and khaki skirt.

"Guys, this is Ms. Seaver," Emily announced, gesturing to the woman. "She's in charge of the Spring Breakers."

"Please, call me Ashley," she insisted. "I just wanted to welcome you all to Panama City Beach and give you a quick rundown of what goes on around here. Why don't you follow me?"

The group picked up their things and entered the hotel behind Ashley. Since it was getting late, the lobby was mostly empty, save for a few stragglers. The lobby was a wide space with cushy chairs and sofas in the middle, forming a sort of waiting area. To their right was the check-in desk, and to their left was a dining area, which appeared to have a patio attached. Music seemed to be originating from that area. Directly ahead was a set of glass doors, through which they could see the beach. Derek hummed his approval, to the amusement of everyone else.

"The rooms are all upstairs," stated Ashley, pointing to an elevator bay up ahead, right before the glass doors. "Beach is ahead, and pool area is to the left. Parties are pretty much non-stop around the pool, except for a bit in the early morning when they kinda calm down. There are loads of activities to do on the beach, too. You can sign up for stuff like parasailing and jet skiing. Food is available at any time in our restaurant."

"This place gets better and better," Derek muttered. Penelope elbowed him. Ashley smiled.

"We like to consider it paradise for college kids."

"Oh, believe me," Emily said, "it is."

"I'm glad to hear it," replied Ashley warmly. "I'll let you guys find your rooms, I'm sure you're all exhausted from traveling. If you need anything, feel free to call downstairs. Hopefully I'll see you tomorrow!"

With a wave, Ashley walked back to the check-in desk. The group headed over to the elevators.

"What floor, Em?" Aaron asked once they are all crammed inside one (which was no easy feat).

"Eight," she answered. JJ, who was closest to the button, jabbed it with her elbow. The elevator jerked upwards.

"As excited as I am to be here, with you all," said Derek through a yawn, "I am wiped."

"Yeah, I need sleep," JJ agreed. "Pronto."

"Why don't we all meet up in the restaurant at nine tomorrow morning?" Aaron suggested. The elevator dinged, signaling their arrival on the eighth floor. They stumbled out, banging suitcases and duffels against one another as they did so.

"How about nine-thirty?" Emily asked. Aaron sighed,

"Fine, nine-_thirty _."

Emily led them down the carpeted hallway to rooms 823 and 825. Stopping in between the two, she held out three keys to the boys.

"You're in 825."

"Hallelujah," said Derek, snagging one of the keys. He gave Penelope a quick kiss, waved at everyone else, and walked straight over to his room. "Good night, everybody."

Aaron and Spencer followed suit, kissing their girlfriends and offering waves to the others before disappearing behind Derek.

"Alright, let's see our room!" Penelope squealed. Emily chuckled before unlocking their door.

The happy gasps from behind her were enough to tell Emily that she was seriously going to owe her mother after this trip. Their room contained a little kitchenette, a large bathroom, two beds, a living room area, and a balcony. The balcony was easily the thing that impressed the girls the most. It offered a breath-taking view of the beach and pool area. JJ and Penelope dropped their bags on the ground and ran outside, their exhaustion momentarily forgotten.

"This is amazing!" Penelope yelled, stepping right up to the railing and spreading her arms wide. JJ leaned out and stared at the area below.

"Wow, Ashley wasn't kidding when she said non-stop parties," she commented, taking in the flashing lights and gyrating spots that were surely people. The latest party tune thumped from the speakers, wherever they were.

"Yep, and we're going to some! Tomorrow, though," Penelope said.

"Hey, look who it is!" someone called from their left. The two girls swiveled their heads around to see Aaron and Spencer standing on their own balcony.

"Long time, no see," JJ joked.

"Where's Derek?" asked Penelope.

Aaron glanced back into the room. "Asleep."

"Already?"

"You know Derek," Spencer said. "When he's tired, he's tired."

"He might have a good idea," JJ said, suddenly overcome by a yawn. "I'm going to bed myself."

"Night, JJ," Spencer and Aaron said. She waved before stepping back into her room. After a moment, Penelope followed.

"How is it?" Emily asked. She had remained inside in favor of using the bathroom before her friends. She was already in her pajamas and ready for bed.

"Amazing," Penelope said. "Remind me to send your mom the biggest thank you present ever."

"Will do," Emily said with a laugh. "So, how are we sleeping?"

JJ tilted her head to the side, appraising their situation. "Why don't we take turns getting to sleep alone?"

"That sounds perfect," agreed Penelope. "Emily should go first."

"What? Why me?"

"Your mom got us this trip," Penelope said. "Ergo, you get to sleep alone tonight."

Emily grinned. "Well, if you insist."

She climbed onto one of the beds, snuggling underneath the blankets. JJ and Penelope took turns using the bathroom before getting into their own bed. JJ leaned over and turned off the light.

"I'm really, really happy to see you guys," Penelope whispered. Emily smiled.

"I'm really, really happy to see you guys, too."

"Yeah, same," JJ put in. "I'll be even happier after some sleep."

Emily laughed. "Good night, guys."

"Night."

"Nighty-night."

**A/N: Hey, all. I'm so sorry about the long wait between chapters. I'll try not to let it get that bad again. I have February break coming up, so hopefully that'll allow for more writing time.**

**Thanks for sticking with me. It's very much appreciated. =) **


	5. Let's Go Get Away

**I'm so incredibly sorry about going AWOL on this story for so long. I would've had this up sooner, but one day while writing it my laptop randomly shut down, and I lost all my progress, and I kinda lost my motivation after that. That's not really an excuse, but I just thought I'd tell you. But don't worry, I won't ever abandon this. **

**A massive thank you to everyone who has stuck with me. I love you all, and I really appreciate your support.**

Chapter 5: Let's Go Get Away

Aaron thought for sure he would be the first person awake in the morning. In high school, he always made sure to get up with more than enough time to dress, eat breakfast, and head to school. There were countless days where he had to care for his brother Sean before leaving, and the extra time was often needed. That habit became ingrained in him, almost like second nature.

He really didn't think vacation would be any different. He had set an alarm right before succumbing to the softest bed he had ever lain on the night before, and figured that he would have to wake Derek and Spencer up when the alarm failed them.

Aaron let out a low groan, slowly forcing himself to come to. He lifted his head, blearily looking to the digital clock on the nightstand. 9:12. He was suddenly very glad Emily made him change their meet-up time.

"Good morning," a quiet voice said from the corner. Sitting up more, Aaron spotted Spencer curled up on the couch. A thick book was open on his lap, and he was already dressed for the day. "I turned off the alarm when it went off. You looked like you could use some more sleep, so I figured I would wake you in a few minutes."

Aaron raised an eyebrow.

"Did you really bring a book that large on vacation?"

Spencer blushed, his expression sheepish. "It's really good?"

Aaron chuckled, climbing out of the bed and moving toward the bathroom. Derek was still sprawled across the other one, dead to the world.

"Can you wake Sleeping Beauty over there?" Aaron called over his shoulder.

"Do you really think he'll listen to me?" countered Spencer.

"Touché."

Aaron stepped back out of the bathroom and approached Derek's prone form. He assessed the situation carefully, walking around to the other side and back. Spencer shrugged when Aaron gave him a questioning look.

"Do what you think is best, but don't get killed," he advised. Aaron glared at him before turning back. He hesitated before launching himself up on top of Derek. The dark-skinned teen let out something that was a cross between a yelp and a shout, eyes opening to comical proportions. He smacked Aaron upside the head and elbowed his side.

"Not cool, man!" he wheezed.

Aaron laughed as he rolled off the bed, landing on the ground with a thump. Spencer hid his wide grin behind his book.

"Sorry, Derek, but we need to get ready."

Derek threw a pillow at Aaron. "Maybe, but there are other ways to wake a person!"

"I'll be sure to dump water on you tomorrow," Aaron tossed out over his shoulder, finally moving into the bathroom. Derek scowled at the closed door.

"Payback's a bitch!"

* * *

><p>"Well, well, well," Emily called as the boys entered the dining area, "Look who finally decided to join us!" The girls were already seated at a table covered in breakfast food. The boys' eyes all lit up at the sight.<p>

"It's Derek's fault," Aaron and Spencer said in unison. Penelope smacked her boyfriend. Derek's mouth fell open.

"Excuse me? I don't think you were all dressed and ready to go when I woke up, Aaron."

Spencer looked up from where he was pouring a cup of coffee. "Oh, no, Aaron woke up only a few minutes before you."

"Spencer!" Aaron hissed. Derek looked triumphant.

"Aww, did someone oversleep?" Emily cooed, leaning towards Aaron. He rolled his eyes and sat down next to her, grabbing a bagel as he did.

"Fine, maybe I did, but at least I was up before Derek."

Derek looked like he was about to interject again, but JJ spoke up before he could.

"Okay, team, what do we want to do today?"

"Beach!"

"I wanna explore the resort a bit."

"Can we please go shopping? Please?"

"I think there are some activities we could try, like jet-skiing or parasailing."

"There's a museum not far from here…"

Everyone was speaking at the same time, trying to make their wants known. JJ let out a moan and rubbed her forehead.

"Okay, okay! Calm down!" They stopped, and JJ smirked. "Let's try this again. What do we want to do today? And please, _one at a time._"

"First of all," Derek said, cutting Emily off as she had just opened her mouth. She shot him a glare. "I heard Boy Genius here say something about a museum, and I'm vetoing that right now."

"But Derek, you don't understand-"

"I understand it just fine. We're in _Florida_ on _Spring Break._ There will be no educational activities on this trip."

"At least not today," Aaron said.

"Okay," Spencer mumbled. He fixed Derek with a pointed look. "So what do _you _want to do today?"

"Beach," Derek replied simply, leaning back in his chair. "We're still tired from traveling, I think we should take it easy."

"But the beach is gonna be there every day," Emily chimed in. "Don't you want to see what the resort is like? See what stuff is here?"

"The resort is gonna be here every day too, Em."

"But it is our first day," JJ pointed out. "Perfect time to get a feel for the area."

"Thank you, JJ."

"Baby Girl, what do you want to do?" Derek turned to Penelope, who offered a sheepish smile.

"Shopping."

"No," everyone answered.

"At least not today," Emily said. "I'll gladly go tomorrow, or some other day."

"Hotch, were you talking about jet-skiing and stuff?" JJ asked. Aaron nodded.

"Yeah, but I'm thinking we should tour the resort, and then just hang on the beach. Easy day, nice day. It would give us time to just relax." He looked around at the group. "That is, if everyone is okay with it."

"Sounds good to me," Emily replied.

"I suppose that works," Derek said with a fake air of being irritated. JJ shoved his shoulder, and he pinched her side in response.

"Okay, children," Penelope said. "Let's go check out paradise!"

* * *

><p>Penelope was right: The area really was paradise. The water was as blue as the sky, and the sand was a perfect white. People were out and about, roaming the beach and perusing the shops down along the Pier Park, which was a long street lined with shops and restaurants.<p>

"Isn't this wonderful?" Emily sighed, snuggling close to Aaron. He had an arm wrapped around her shoulders. Up ahead, JJ and Spencer were walking hand-in-hand, and Derek and Penelope had their arms linked, talking at a hundred words a minute.

"Yeah," Aaron replied. A smile crept up on his face. For the first time in months, he felt content. Happy. Relaxed. There were not enough words to describe exactly what he was feeling, but it was nice.

"Yeah?" Emily parroted, a teasing lilt to her voice. "That's it, just yeah?"

"What do you want me to say, Em?"

She leaned into him dramatically. "Oh my _god, _Emily, this is the most amazing vacation _ever_, I could not be _happier, _you're the best girlfriend in_ the world _to have organized this."

Aaron smirked. "One, I would never talk like that and you know it, two, you're not the only one who organized this."

Emily snorted. "Don't I know it. My mother owns my soul until the day I day. And probably after."

Aaron kissed her temple. "But it's worth it, right?"

Emily surveyed her friends, all bouncing with excitement. A tingling sensation developed in her stomach as she remembered that this was the first time they had seen each other in months. When she remembered that they were her family and they were all _together. _

"So worth it," she admitted.

"Ooh, guys!" Penelope called. She pointed eagerly to a colorful boutique on their right. "I know we said we would just look around, but… please?"

"Go ahead, Pen," Emily said. Penelope let out a squeal and dashed into the store.

"Wait for me!" JJ kissed Spencer's cheek and rushed after Penelope. Aaron raised his eyebrows and turned to Emily with a pointed look.

"Are you gonna go too?"

Emily smiled guiltily and pecked Aaron on the lips before following her best friends. Aaron smirked and shook his head. He joined Spencer and Derek, who were both staring at the store with dumbfounded expressions on their faces.

"Girls," they all said in unison.

* * *

><p>Nearly twenty minutes later, the girls emerged from the boutique with numerous bags dangling from their fingers. Penelope had the most, of course, and upon reaching the boys, she rummaged around in one and produced a sparkly scarf. With a flourish, she draped it over Derek's shoulders.<p>

"Beautiful," she declared. Emily burst out laughing and took a picture on her cell phone.

"Send that to me," JJ demanded. Emily tapped the screen for a moment before grinning triumphantly.

"Done. I sent it to you too, Pen."

"I hate all of you," Derek grumbled, though he didn't touch the scarf.

"No, you don't," Penelope sing-songed.

"How many clothes did you guys just buy?" Spencer asked.

"I only got a shirt, I swear," Emily said, holding her singular bag up.

"A few shirts, a necklace, and a dress," JJ recounted, peering in each bag.

Penelope grinned sheepishly. "We'll just figure it out later."

"Mama, you're crazy," Derek said, sliding his arm around her waist.

"Mmm, but you love me for it."

"That I do," Derek declared before kissing her square on the lips. Emily made a gagging noise.

"Ewww, kissing," she said as though she was a five-year-old who believed in cooties. "That's sooo gross."

"Oh, shut up," Derek said, pulling away. "Like you and Aaron don't suck face in front of us _all the time._"

"Aw, don't say 'suck face'," Spencer said, his face screwed up in disgust.

"People say that all the time."

"Doesn't mean they _should,_" Spencer muttered.

"Okay," Aaron said, getting everyone's attention. "Where to now?"

"Can we go back to the resort so I can drop all these off?" Penelope asked, shaking her new purchases.

Derek clicked his tongue. "You should've thought of that before you bought everything."

Penelope looked indignant. "Oh, come on! They were calling to me! And there was a sale!"

Derek laughed. "Don't worry, Pen, I was just joking."

"Let's head back," Aaron said. The group turned and began to make their way back to the resort.

* * *

><p>Upon returning to the hotel, they all gathered in the girls' room to figure out their next plan of attack.<p>

"Can we please hit the beach now?" Derek asked, flopping across one of the beds. "It's so hot outside, and the water looks so nice." He stared at all of his friends. "All I have been dreaming about for the past…" He paused to count. "Eight months is the beach, and now that I'm _here…_" He gazed at everyone imploringly.

"You know guys," Emily said slowly. "This may sound crazy, but I _think_ there's a chance Derek wants to go to the beach."

"Nah," Aaron said. "He's just being dramatic."

"Is today 'Shit on Derek Day'?" Derek moaned and buried his face in a pillow. "You guys all suck."

"Okay, okay," JJ said, hitting him lightly with a pillow. "Let's go to the beach."

"Finally!"

"You know," Spencer said thoughtfully, "this is almost exactly what happened in our room this morning. With Derek lying on the bed and all."

"Oh, if you want exactly…" Aaron leapt up and pounced on Derek, much to the amusement of everyone else.

"Did you actually jump on him?" JJ asked in astonishment. Derek shoved Aaron onto the floor.

"Yes," he wheezed. "Yes, he did."

"I wish I could've seen that," Emily remarked. She grinned slyly. "Oh, wait…"

"If everyone isn't out on that beach in five minutes I'm killing you all!" Derek announced, exiting the room with a slam of the door.

"I think he's PMS-ing," Emily said in a stage whisper.

* * *

><p>"You know," JJ said, "for someone who was so eager to get to the beach, Derek sure is taking a long time."<p>

The three girls had gotten their swimsuits on quickly for Derek's benefit, but he – along with Aaron and Spencer – were nowhere to be found.

"Maybe he's taking a crap," Emily suggested, sliding her sunglass on.

"Ewww, Emily!" Penelope covered her ears and stuck out her tongue.

"What? You do know he does that sometimes, right?"

"Yes, of course, but that doesn't mean I want to hear it!"

"Okay, ladies," JJ cut in. "Let's find a nice spot on the beach that'll make Derek nice and happy."

The girls stepped onto the sand and wove their way around bikini-clad women and sunburnt men. It was almost noon now, and the beach was packed with people. Finding a spot was difficult, but eventually they found a clear area to set up camp.

"How cold do you think the water will be?" Penelope asked as she spread her towel on the ground.

"Eh, probably not that bad," JJ replied with a shrug. "Either way, it's so hot that the cold will be nice."

"I think I'm gonna work on my tan first," Emily said.

"What tan?" JJ joked. Emily flicked JJ's ear before adjusting her own towel.

"I think you look beautiful enough without one."

Emily jumped and turned to face the person who had spoken. A boy who looked to be a bit older than her stood a few feet away. He wore only swim trunks and a self-satisfied smirk.

"Oh," Emily said awkwardly, glancing at her friends. They seemed just as uncomfortable as she was. "Thank you, I guess."

The mystery boy walked closer and held out his hand. "Ian Doyle. And just who might you be?" He had an accent of some kind. Irish, Emily realized.

"Emily," she said curtly, ignoring the hand. That just seemed to spur Ian on.

"Emily…" he repeated slowly, drawing out her name. "No last name?"

"Not one you're gonna get."

Ian smiled, which was really more a bearing of teeth. "You've got fire. I like that."

"I'd like it if you left my friends and I alone."

Ian glanced at Penelope and JJ, who both glared at him. JJ looked like she was ready to punch him.

"Of course, dear Emily." He waved. "But I will see you again, I hope." He turned and walked away, though he looked back every few steps.

"In your dreams," Emily muttered.

"Okay, that was hella creepy," Penelope said, settling down on her towel. "You're my favorite person, Em, for shutting him down."

"Boys like him _need _to be shut down," Emily said. "If I ever see him again, it'll be too soon."

"See who again?" Aaron asked, walking up with Derek and Spencer in tow.

"Some guy just tried to hit on Emily," JJ said. "Don't worry, Hotch, she rejected him _so _fast."

"Good to know," Aaron said. He smiled at Emily. "Though I wasn't worried. I trust you."

Emily felt a smile of her own burst forth. She slid her fingers into Aaron's and squeezed.

"Come on," she said, nodding towards the water. "Let's go swim."


	6. Who to Keep Close and Who to Avoid

Chapter 6: Who to Keep Close and Who to Avoid

For the rest of the day, the group lounged on the beach. The sun was hot, almost unbearably so at times, but the water was cool and kept them from overheating. After initially going in the water, the girls headed back to the shore and rested on their towels while the boys continued to splash around. Derek had repeatedly joked about dunking Spencer underwater until Aaron swam underneath Derek and knocked his feet out from under him. Spencer nearly fell over from laughing so hard.

Every once in a while, the boys would retreat to where the girls sat. Spencer and Aaron spread out their own towels, but Derek plopped down cross-legged on the end of Penelope's. She had shot him a dirty look for a second before delicately placing her feet in his lap.

The day was a constant cycle of coming in and out of the water. They stayed there even as the sky began to darken and the crowd began to thin. By that time, they were all relaxing on their towels, watching the colors in the sky change.

"You know…" JJ said after a while, not moving from her position. "It's getting late."

"And your point is?" Derek asked, having decided to spread out his own towel about halfway through the day.

"I guess it was more of an observation," JJ said. "I don't really have a point."

"I have one for you," Emily said, sitting up a bit. She ran her fingers through the grains of sand beside her. "Food."

Derek perked up. "My favorite word. What about it?"

"Don't you think we should get some?"

Almost as soon as Emily said the words, her stomach growled. She blushed while everyone else burst out laughing. A seagull a few feet away leapt up in the air and flew away.

"Yeah, yeah, it's hilarious," Emily muttered, kicking Derek. "But that only serves my point. We should go get something to eat."

"I'm up for that," Aaron said. Everyone nodded in agreement, Derek still guffawing a bit.

"Excellent," Emily said. She stood up and gathered her things, her friends copying her movements. They made their way back to their hotel, walking slowly to eke out a few more moments on the beach.

Aaron noticed Emily was walking behind everyone else, so he slowed down so she could catch up to him. Once they were next to each other, he laced their fingers together and gave a squeeze.

"Everything okay?" he asked.

Emily smiled at him. "Everything is perfect. I just can't believe we're here, and we're all together again."

"I know," Aaron replied with a look at their friends up ahead. "It's like a dream, really."

They walked in silence for a few moments. Emily studied her boyfriend carefully.

"Is everything okay with you?"

Aaron glanced at her. "Yeah. Why wouldn't it be?"

Emily shrugged. "I don't know. You tend to do this thing where you walk around worrying about literally everything when you're supposed to be relaxing and enjoying yourself."

"What? I do not," Aaron said. Emily gave him a pointed look.

"Don't lie to me, Aaron Hotchner. You worry about everything, and you think you need to do everything. You think you're, like, Superman, or something."

Aaron made a scoffing noise. "Okay, that one's a lie. Everything else may be true, but I definitely do not think I'm Superman."

"Aha!" Emily cried, pointing an accusing finger at him. "So you admit the other points are true?"

They turned up the path leading directly to their hotel. Despite it still being relatively light out, the streetlamps had been turned on, casting a warm glow over them as they walked.

"Fine," Aaron said. "I suppose that what you said is a little bit true."

"What was that?"

"I'm not repeating it."

Emily sighed and swung their linked hands back and forth. "I go to school with you, Aaron, I see how stressed you get, and things have been really tough for you lately." She looked over at him, nudging his shoulder with hers. "I just worry about you. Is this trip helping?"

Aaron didn't respond for a moment, simply choosing to look ahead to their friends. JJ, Derek, and Penelope had broken out into song, and they were trying to get Spencer to join in. Aaron smiled.

"It is. Really." He looked at Emily. "Thank you."

"For what? This trip wasn't all me, you know that."

He shook his head. "No, I do. I'm thanking you for worrying about me. Caring about me."

Emily's heart skipped a beat. She stopped walking, Aaron following suit as they were still holding hands. Tugging him close, Emily leaned up and pressed her lips to his.

"I love you," she whispered when they parted. Aaron caressed her cheek and kissed her once more, a quick peck.

"I love you, too." They smiled at each other, both content to just look at each other in the dying light of the day.

"Hey, lovebirds!" Derek yelled from the door of their hotel. "I'm hungry, get a move on!"

"Oh, _now _he thinks of food," Emily muttered. Aaron laughed and dragged her forward. They hurried the rest of the way, trying not to blush at the knowing looks on their friends' faces as they got closer.

"Hey," Emily murmured before they got too close. Aaron raised an eyebrow in question. "For what it's worth, you're Superman to me."

Aaron's smile was enough to light the entire beach.

* * *

><p>"I'm gonna explode!" Derek moaned, hobbling over to the elevator. Everyone else immediately took a step back, leaving him by himself. Once he realized he was alone, he spun around quickly, which only made him moan louder.<p>

The group had found a restaurant a short walk away from the hotel and ate there. Everyone had their fill, but Derek had surpassed that, as usual, and was now suffering the consequences.

"Sorry, Chocolate God," Penelope said through her giggles. "Can't risk getting puke on my new dress." She gestured to the floral print dress she wore and gave an apologetic shrug.

"Yeah, I just got this shirt," JJ said, playing with the hem of her new pale blue blouse.

"I just don't like vomit," Emily said. Spencer and Aaron nodded in agreement. Derek rolled his eyes and leaned against the wall.

"It's an expression, and you know it."

"Of course we do," Spencer said. "People can't actually explode from too much food. If anything, they just-"

"I really don't need to know the science behind that," Penelope interrupted, holding up a hand. Spencer shut his mouth.

"I never thought I would say this," Derek said. "But I really missed Pretty Boy's factoids."

"Me, too," Penelope admitted.

"Three," Emily said. Aaron simply nodded.

JJ rested her head on Spencer's shoulder. He wrapped an arm around her waist.

"You already know I missed everything about you," she told him quietly. Spencer ducked his head, a happy smile on his face. He kissed the top of her head, and she hummed happily.

"Man, I am _wiped," _Derek announced, turning back to the elevators. "I could sleep for a hundred years." He made a fake snoring noise as if to emphasize his point.

"Before you do that," Aaron said. "We need to figure out who gets what bed tonight."

"What?" Derek looked at him. "Why?"

"Because it's not fair you get a bed to yourself two nights in a row," Spencer said. Derek pouted.

"I suppose that's true."

"The girls are switching every night," Aaron said, gesturing to the ladies. "We should too."

Derek glanced over at the girls, who were smiling sweetly at him. He stuck his tongue out at Emily and JJ and blew a kiss to Penelope.

"Thanks _so_ much for telling them about that, really."

"Our pleasure," Emily chirped.

Derek shook his head. He started to reach for the elevator call button, but was stopped by a voice calling for their attention.

"Hey, guys!" Ashley Seaver was headed their way, a bright smile on her face. Everyone chorused their greetings. "How was your first day here?"

"Wonderful," JJ said, lifting her head off Spencer. He kept his arm around her waist.

"Perfect!" Penelope declared. "It's actually paradise down here."

"It's great," Aaron confirmed with a nod. Ashley beamed.

"That's excellent, I'm so glad to hear it." Her expression turned serious, and she pushed her hair behind her ear. "Now, there's something I need to discuss with you guys that I forgot to cover last night."

Aaron glanced at his friends. "What's up?"

Ashley clasped her hands together. "It's resort policy that if any guest causes any kind of property damage, or causes too much of a disturbance, they will be removed from the premises."

Everyone exchanged a look. That would certainly put a damper on their trip, and if they let anything like that happen, their parents would never get over it.

"Understood," Aaron said. "We won't do anything like that, promise."

Ashley smiled again, all traces of seriousness gone. "Oh, I'm sure you won't! I just needed to tell you." She waved towards the elevators. "I'll let you go. Have a nice night!"

Everyone said goodbye, and Derek jabbed the call button. A moment later, the elevator's doors slid open, and they all piled inside. Once the doors shut, Penelope leaned heavily on Derek.

"Carry me to the room?" she asked. Derek chuckled.

"Oh, now you want to get close to me?"

* * *

><p>"Okay, who wants to sleep alone tonight?" Emily asked, coming out of the bathroom in her pajamas. JJ and Penelope were already dressed for bed and were sitting cross-legged on the couch. "I slept alone last night, so you guys get to duke it out."<p>

JJ shrugged. "Pen, you can if you want."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, go for it. I'm pretty sure Emily's cured of any cooties by now."

Emily snatched a pillow off one of the beds and smacked JJ with it. Penelope laughed and jumped onto the other bed, snuggling down on top of the blankets. She let out a luxurious sigh.

"This is so wonderful."

Emily looked over at her and giggled at the blissed-out expression on Penelope's face. "It's pretty great, I'll admit."

JJ fanned herself. "And hot."

Emily hit her again with the pillow, this time lighter than before. "Welcome to Florida."

Penelope sat up. "No, she's right, it's absurdly hot."

"I can get us some ice," Emily volunteered. She walked back into the bathroom and grabbed an empty ice bucket from the counter. Making sure she had her room key, she left the room in search of the ice machine she spotted earlier, JJ and Penelope's shouts of "thank you" following her as she exited.

As she walked, Emily felt a slow smile spread across her face. She hadn't smiled this much in a day in a very long time. Yes, Yale was great and everything she had ever dreamt of, but it was a _lot _of work. While she loved the challenge, she'd also had many nights where she questioned whether or not she truly belonged there, or if she had what it took to make it through. She couldn't count the number of nights she sat on her bed and cried, the piles of work overwhelming her.

And it was only freshman year.

But after every assignment and test, she felt a crushing sense of pride. She'd made it through. And she always would, so long as she kept her head up and kept her focus. And that was exactly what she intended to do.

That didn't make the school year any easier, however, and she would be forever grateful for her mother for making this trip possible. Being reunited with her friends was just what she needed to recharge her batteries and feel better about herself.

And being with everyone again was amazing. Even if she hadn't gotten off to the best start with all of them, they were the best people in her life. She loved each of them with every ounce of her heart, and she wouldn't change a single thing about her time with them. They were her family.

The ice machine was located at the end of the hallway, in a cramped alcove that also housed a vending machine. Stepping up to it, Emily filled the bucket with ice, hissing a little as a few stray pieces hit her hand. Once it was filled with a respectable amount, she straightened and prepared to leave.

As soon as she turned around, her body collided with another. She held the bucket tight against her chest to avoid dropping it.

"Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry!" she cried. "I didn't realize…" Her voice trailed off once she saw who it was. "Oh. It's you."

The boy from the beach, Ian, stood before her, infuriating smirk back in place. Emily's skin crawled at the sight, and she involuntarily tensed at the sight.

"We meet again," Ian said, smirk growing. "Emily, right?"

"If I say no, will you leave me alone?"

Ian held his hands up in a placating gesture. "Look, I think we got off on the wrong foot. I didn't mean to offend you or anything today. I sometimes speak before thinking my words through."

Emily relaxed, but only marginally. "It's fine. But I should still get back to my room." She held up the ice bucket. "Roommates are in need of some ice chips."

Ian nodded. "I understand. I'll let you go, but maybe tomorrow I can show you around the area? Take you out to lunch?"

He gave her a smile that Emily figured was supposed to be charming, only it failed miserably. Side-stepping around him, she shook her head.

"I'm sorry, but I'm here with my friends. We've been away at different colleges for eight months, we'd like to spend some time together."

"So in a few days, then?"

Emily gritted her teeth. _Take a freaking hint._

"I also have a boyfriend," she said firmly, not missing the way his eyes narrowed. "And he's here with me. And I love him very much." She smiled falsely. "Bye, Ian."

She turned on her heel and walked as fast as she could without outright running. She could feel Ian's eyes on her, which only made her want to walk faster. She didn't stop until the door to her room was shut tight behind her.

_Note to self, _she thought, leaning her head against the door. _Avoid Ian Doyle at all costs._

* * *

><p><strong>AN: I'm very, very sorry about the long wait once again. I've just started my freshman year of college, and it's still taking some adjusting. However, things have settled quite a bit, so I'm optimistic about being able to get these chapters out sooner to you. I'm not making any promises though, because clearly I've thought this before and haven't delivered. **

**I do apologize for all the long waits, but I'm trying my best. Your patience means the world to me, as does your support. Thank you for sticking with this story, if you have. **


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